abaco

For those who knew Brandon Williams, it was his kindness, warmth and the way he welcomed people that made him unforgettable.

He was described as a loving son, devoted brother and cherished friend — someone who brought light into the lives of those around him.

But on Monday, a sudden traffic accident in Abaco took away a life many believed still had so much more to give.

Brandon, 30, died after a vehicle accident in which his vehicle overturned following a collision, ejecting him from the vehicle. He died at the scene.

And now, his family and friends are left remembering him after the horrific tragedy.

His older brother, Lester Smith, described Brandon as someone whose presence brought joy to others.

“He was the light in the lives of all who knew him,” Lester shared.

He remembered his brother’s kindness, strength and uplifting spirit — qualities that made him loved by many.

But the reality of losing him is still difficult to accept. “I never thought this would actually happen,” Lester wrote.

“But here I am, making an announcement for my younger brother’s demise.”

Cora Kemp remembered Brandon’s kindness in the simplest moments, meeting him at Maxwell Food Store in Abaco.

At the time, she was still becoming familiar with people in Abaco. Brandon struck up a conversation, and what stood out was his willingness to make her feel welcome.

She remembered that he invited her and a friend to his home for dinner, even though he did not have much himself.

“He didn’t have much, but he offered two strangers,” she recalled in a post.

Friend Wilbert Thurston is holding onto the memory of their final conversation. Just days before Brandon’s passing, the two talked about the overwhelming summer heat. It was an ordinary conversation, but neither of them knew it would become their last.

“I never known that would have been our last conversation,” Thurston shared.

For Keon Williams, the loss feels impossible to process. He remembered the friendship built through nights spent playing games, laughing and joking with each other.“

Every other night we played games,” he wrote. “I love you my ‘G’… never was suppose to be you. This hurt me so much.”

For those who knew Bertrica Brown, one thing is remembered again and again— her smile.

A smile that reflected the joy, kindness and warmth she carried wherever she went.

Bertrica was a young woman with dreams ahead of her — a recent graduate, a talented athlete and a person of faith whose life touched many in her community.

But those dreams were suddenly cut short.

Bertrica, a 2026 graduate of Agape Christian School, in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, was among the four young women whose lives were tragically lost in a car crash early Sunday morning in Nassau.

At Kingdom Builders Ministries in Marsh Harbour, Bertrica was known as someone who used her gifts to serve God.

Her pastors, Bishop Terrance and Shoine Strachan, remembered her faithful service on the church’s dance team as a mime dancer.

They said she used her talents “to glorify God and minister to others.”

Her beautiful smile and worshipful spirit, they said, will always be remembered.

For those who taught her, Bertrica was a joy to be around. Her teacher Ayanna Bernard described her as “such a sweet soul.”

She remembered Bertrica as a student who was “never rude,” but always brought laughter and positivity wherever she went.

Bertrica’s future seemed full of promise. At her recent graduation, she was described as a bright young woman with incredible potential.

Member of Parliament Mario Bowleg, who spoke at her graduation, remembered her as someone with a future ahead of her.

And that future included continuing her education after receiving a full scholarship to play volleyball.

Volleyball was her passion.

Madeline Albury, who knew her, remembered the joy she brought to the game.

“She had a wonderful spirit wherever she went. It was filled with laughter, such a sweet girl,” Albury shared.

Those closest to her are now left with memories and a pain that words cannot fully explain.

Florence Fullerton shared an emotional goodbye: “Oh Trica, no more ‘mumz.’”

Others remembered the energy and life she brought into every space.

Retta Thomas described the loss as devastating, remembering Bertrica as a young woman who had only recently graduated alongside her grandson and others.

She said Bertrica had “an amazing vibrancy of life” and was an example to those around her during her time at Agape Christian School.

The fifteen-year-old young Abaco resident was remembered by friends and loved ones as strong, bright and full of promise.

For many, the loss of the tenth grader is almost impossible to process because the summer had just begun.

Kyron Curry had gone fishing with friends when he reportedly fell into the water. He was later discovered with a fractured skull, and despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries.

“Ayo, I don’t know what death angel been going around,” his cousin Trent McIntosh wrote in a heartfelt social media post.

“Ky… the summer just started, lil cuz!”

His words captured the disbelief that has swept through Green Turtle Cay.

At Pineapples Bar and Grill, where staff knew Kyron well, the grief was also profound.

Management and staff described him as a “bright, strong and remarkable young man in the prime of his youth.”

“Kyron was deeply loved by all who knew him and cherished beyond measure by his family,” the establishment said.

“His sudden and incredibly tragic passing has shaken all who knew him to the core.”

Messages of sympathy have poured in on social media.

“Oh my, such a sad incident,” Neymour Johnson Gaynell wrote. “My condolences on the passing of such a very youthful young man.”

North Abaco MP Kirk Cornish also expressed condolences, noting that the loss of a young life extends far beyond a single household.

“The loss of a young life is a tragedy that touches the hearts of an entire community,” he said.

“To the people of Green Turtle Cay and the wider North Abaco community, let us unite in compassion and remembrance as we honor the life of Kyron Curry.”

But no grief is deeper than that of a mother.

As loved ones reflected on Kyron’s life, many offered prayers for his mother, Nishka, whose heartbreak has touched the entire community.

“The depth of her grief is unimaginable, and our hearts ache alongside hers,” Pineapples Bar and Grill wrote. “We pray that the Lord will ease the burden of grief that his mother Nishka is feeling, as there can be no greater pain than the loss of a child. May God wrap her heart in a blanket of comfort and healing.”

Green Turtle Cay is left with memories of a summer that was supposed to be filled with adventure and laughter. Instead, the community is mourning.

Friends echo that he was loved.

The race in North Abaco is shaping up to be a competitive three-way contest, with Progressive Liberal Party incumbent Kirk Cornish facing Free National Movement challenger Terrece Bootle and Coalition of Independents candidate Cay Mills.

In 2021, Cornish secured the seat with approximately 1,344 votes, defeating the FNM’s 1,085 votes, while Mills, running outside the two major parties, captured 719 votes.

Historically, Abaco has been considered an FNM stronghold, shaped for decades by the influence of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, who represented the area from 1992 to 2012. While the PLP briefly held the seat following a 2012 by-election, it returned to the FNM in 2017 before Cornish flipped it again in 2021.

This suggests that North Abaco is no longer predictable.

The introduction of Bootle, a new FNM candidate and former island administrator, adds a new dynamic to the race. Her ties to Abaco and administrative experience could help solidify traditional FNM support. At the same time, Cornish has an incumbent advantage and has broken the FNM’s hold on the seat prior.

Mills, however, may once again prove to be a decisive factor. His 2021 performance showed a measurable base of support outside the FNM and PLP parties. In an environment where frustration with the traditional two-party system appears to be growing, support for Mills could grow or influence the outcome.

“I guess it was too much closeness. We decided to call it quits. I’m not going back,” Lynette Hooker shared with a friend in early 2024, months before she disappeared in waters off Abaco.

“I quit my awesome career, sold my house and gave away everything I own to cruise,” she wrote, reflecting on a life she had left behind, CBS reported.

“It was real bad. I can’t be out there with him,” she said in another message.

According to her mother, the relationship between Lynette and her husband, Brian Hooker, was complicated. “They loved each other but were not good for each other,” she said, describing a cycle of breakups and reconciliation. She alleged that when Brian Hooker drank, he could become “mean” and “hurtful,” and recalled instances where Lynette was physically harmed.

In a WhatsApp message weeks later, a friend reached out to Lynette after noticing a shift: “Looks like things are on the up and up.”

By late February, the couple had reconciled.

Lynette’s mother said their life at sea appeared picture-perfect and seemingly full. But the private messages tell another story.

Now, Lynette’s story has taken a tragic turn.

Lynette remains missing after Brian reported that she went overboard during a nighttime boat ride on April 5. Authorities have since launched a criminal investigation, and he has been questioned by police. His attorney has said he denies wrongdoing and is heartbroken, seeking release to assist in the search.

Through a GoFundMe campaign, Karli Aylesworth hopes to raise $18,000 for a memorial and support ongoing efforts to locate Lynette Hooker, the American woman who went missing in the Bahamas after falling overboard in the Bahamas.

“Anything would help,” she said.

After the disappearance of her mother, Lynette, in waters off the Abacos, Aylesworth is searching for answers while bracing for the unknown.

She is calling for a full and complete investigation, adding her mother’s relationship with her stepfather Brian Hooker was rocky.

Authorities have since opened a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Lynette’s disappearance, and Brian was arrested as part of that process.

Police have not publicly detailed the outcome of that investigation, and Lynette has not yet been found.

Brian said Lynette fell overboard during a night boat ride and was lost to the sea. He said strong winds and currents made it impossible to save her, and that he paddled back to shore alone, reporting the incident hours later.

But for Karli, that explanation is not enough.

In a social media post, Brian thanked those supporting the search and for keeping Lynette in their thoughts.

Karli has asked anyone with information to contact her.

As the search for Lynette Hooker continues in Bahamian waters, another struggle is unfolding within the family, still trying to make sense of what happened.

Bahamian authorities have made it clear that Lynette’s husband, Brian Hooker, is not accused of any wrongdoing. The case remains an active investigation.

But for Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, the questions have not gone away.

“For one, I don’t understand how she got the key,” she said.

According to police, Lynette, 55, went missing after reportedly falling overboard from a small dinghy during a nighttime trip in Abaco.

Her husband said the couple had left Hope Town around 7:30 p.m., heading toward Elbow Cay, when she fell into the water. He told investigators she had the engine key at the time, and that strong currents carried her away.

But for Aylesworth, that detail is difficult to reconcile.

“Brian’s always driving. So he basically is in charge of the key. So the fact that my mom had it doesn’t make any sense.”

In the hours after the incident, Brian Hooker left a voicemail for his stepdaughter.

“Hello, honey, it’s Dad… they found the flotation device that I threw to Mom when she fell overboard,” he said.

Aylesworth describes her mother as experienced, someone who had spent more than a decade sailing and who was a confident swimmer.

She shared that she wants a full and thorough investigation, saying she struggles to fully accept the sequence of events as described.

Aylesworth also noted that her mother and stepfather had been separated in recent years before reconnecting.

After the incident, authorities say Brian Hooker was left in a powerless vessel without the key.

He paddled through rough conditions, eventually reaching shore hours later, around 4 a.m., where he made his way to the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard and contacted police.

The daughter of missing American woman Lynette Hooker wants answers to her mother’s disappearance.

Karli Aylesworth is caught in a state of uncertainty, seeking clarity and truth.

“I have been privy to very little information,” she said in a statement. “My sole concern is to find out what happened to my mother and make sure a full and complete investigation is performed into her disappearance.”

Authorities and volunteer teams in Abaco have now transitioned from an active search and rescue effort to a recovery operation, according to officials on the ground.

It marks a difficult shift for loved ones and for a community that had been hoping for a different outcome.

According to police, Lynette Hooker, 55, of Michigan, was reported missing after an evening boat trip off the coast of Abaco.

She and her husband had left Elbow Cay in a small dinghy, heading back to their yacht, Soulmate, when worsening weather conditions met them at sea.

Investigators say she fell overboard during the journey. Strong currents carried her away, and she was last seen in the water as her husband struggled to regain control of the vessel after it lost power.

He eventually made his way to shore hours later and alerted authorities.

In the days before her disappearance, Lynette and her husband shared glimpses of their life on the water, moments that now feel especially poignant.

They documented their arrival in Abaco, describing the sea as “very entertaining,” and spoke of settling in, writing, “Not going anywhere for a while.”

There were quiet scenes of everyday life, walking along docks, sailing between cays, preparing for dives captured in simple moments.

Not long after, uncertainty followed.

For Aylesworth, and those who love Lynette, the journey is understanding what happened.

Tears, prayers, and moments of reflection filled Full Gospel Assembly in Abaco on Saturday as loved ones gathered to mourn the lives of Monique Williams and her 13-year-old nephew, Terrence Williams, who were taken in a tragic car accident last month.

Family members, quietly with friends and community members, were united by the memories of Monique and Terrence.

As hymns echoed through the church, tears flowed freely and quietly and the service became a farewell and a reminder of how Monique and Terrence were loved.

Watch as family and friends view Monique and Terrence Williams.

Williams, 53, was remembered as a woman whose kindness was felt long before it was spoken. A preschool teacher, a friend said, she had a way of making everyone around her feel seen and cared for.

“She never sought the spotlight. She was always present, always faithful.”

They described Monique as family-oriented, thoughtful, and loyal.

Her devotion, they said, extended into her classroom, where she poured love and guidance into the children she taught.

Terrence Williams was remembered as a shy but joyful 13-year-old whose smile, loved ones said, could light up any room. A student at S.C. Bootle High School, Terrence, mourners said, had a gentle spirit and a growing love for basketball.

“He was sweet,” one family friend said in a social media post. “A good boy with a bright spirit.”

The pair died tragically in Marsh Harbour, shortly after 8 a.m., as the aunt and nephew traveled north along the roadway. Police say their vehicle was struck head-on by another car traveling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the other vehicle, a tourist visiting Abaco for the first time, has since been charged in connection with the fatal crash. He drove on the wrong side of the road.

The tragic deaths of Monique Williams and 13-year-old Terrence Williams have sent shockwaves across Abaco, leaving a community steeped in grief and disbelief.

In a statement shared to social media, Cooper’s Town Primary, where she was employed, described her as “a quiet storm, a gem with a smile that could light up any room,” adding that the school is carrying “heavy hearts” as they mourn one of their own.

The aunt and nephew were traveling north along the road in Marsh Harbour shortly after 8 a.m. when their vehicle was struck head-on by another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. The other driver, a tourist visiting the island for the first time, has since been charged in connection with the fatal incident.

Ms. Williams, 53, was a teacher, remembered by colleagues, parents, and students as gentle, kind, and deeply devoted to her children in the classroom. Terrence, a 13-year-old student at S.C. Bootle High School, was described by loved ones as a sweet boy with a bright spirit.

“This loss is one that is felt profoundly by our school and the communities of North Abaco,” the school’s post read.

Glendor Knowles, who knew Ms. Williams said, “This teacher was one of the nicest and most caring. The students are at a loss.”

Her niece, McCara McPhee, wrote simply but heartbreakingly, “You’ll in a better place now.”

Another mourner, Janice Lewis, echoed the sentiment shared by many: “She was such a sweet person.”

The Ministry of Education also extended condolences, noting that Ms. Williams served her school community with “passion, commitment, and love for her students and colleagues.”

Leanne Russell, a close family friend, shared a tribute for Terrence: “Take your rest, beautiful boy. My heart aches for your mother, the Russell family, and everyone who knew your sweet spirit.”

The accused, John Porth of South Carolina, was granted bail on Tuesday for $60,000 and ordered to wear an ankle monitor. He is expected to return to court on March 16.